Control valve mechanism for snow removing machines



March 11, 1941. sy D 2,234,322

CONTROL VALVE MECHANISM FOR SNOW REMOVING MACHINES Filed Dec. 1, 1959 2 Sheets Sheet 1 m an E E: N m I FIG .1

IRENEE SICARD ATTORN'E S 1. sICA'RD 2,234,322

CONTR on snow 1, l9 2 Sheets- IGS v INVENTOR ENzasm Patented Mar. 11, 1941 UNITED STATES CONTROL VALVE MECHANISM FOR SNOW REMOVING MACHINES Irene Sicard, Montreal, Quebec, Canada Application December 1, 1939, Serial No. 307,162 In Canada October .24, 1939 2 Claims.

This invention relates to control apparatus for selectively controlling the operation of a plurality of fluid motors. Such apparatus, while intended for general application, is especially useful in connection with snow removing machines of the type disclosed in United States Patent 2,092,536, granted Sept. 7, 1937.

The machine disclosed in the above patent comprises the following elements which are susceptible of operation by the motors embodied in the aforesaid control apparatus: (1) a rotatably mounted blower housing adapted to be turned so that its discharge opening may be directed upwardly or toward either side of the roadway; (2) 18 an elbow-shaped discharge spout which is adapted to be turned about a vertical axis and is provided with telescopic sections adapted to be extended and collapsed by means independent of the means employed for turning the spout as a whole; and (3) mechanism adapted to be operated to raise and lower the blower casing and the discharge spout with reference to the roadway.

The present invention provides a simple mechanism for controlling a plurality of motors employed for operating the aforesaid adjustable parts of the patented machine.

Proceeding now to a more detailed description of the present invention reference will be had to the accompanying drawings wherein- I Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view of the complete control apparatus.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of one of the control valves.

Figs. 3 and 4 are views similar to Fig. 2 but showing the valve turned to different operating positions.

Figs. 5, 6 and '7 are views illustrating the construction of the movable valve element embodied in the valve assembly shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4.

Fig. 8 is a longitudinal sectional View showing a slight modification of said valve assembly.

Fig. 9 is a transverse sectional view taken along the line 9-9 of Fig. 8.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 5 designates a pump which is driven from a motor or other suitable power plant 6 through the agency of the pulley I, belt 8 and pulley 9. The suction side of pump 5 is connected, by

pipe I0, to an oil reservoir or storage tank II. The pressure side of pump 5 is connected to an oil delivery pipe I2 which, in turn, is adapted to be selectively connected to the fluid motors I3a, I3b, I30 and I3d through the agency of the control valves I la, Mb, I40 and Md. As shown in Figs. 2 to 4, each of said valves comprises a casing I5 and a rotary valve plug IS, the latter being equipped with an operating handle II. The casing I5 is provided With'four ports I8, I9,

20 and 2I. The ports I8 and I9 are formed in 5 opposite sides of the casing and are located diametrically opposite each other. The ports 20 and ZI are preferably formed in the same side of the casing and are respectively located above and below the ports I8 and I9, as shown in Fig." 2. The valve plug I6 is provided with upper and lower annular grooves 22 and 23. Opposite sides of the plug I6 are recessed between the grooves 22 and 23 to provide the reversely arranged T- shaped ports 24 and 25. The ports 24 and 25' are reversely arranged so that the T-head portions thereof lie in the same horizontal plane but at opposite sides of the plug I6. The stem portion of port 24 opens into the upper annular groove 22 while the stem portion of the port 25 20 opens into the lower annular groove 23.

The port I8 of valve I la is directly connected to the oil supply line I2. The remaining port I9 of valve I In is connected, by pipe 21, to the casing port I8 of valve Mb. The remaining casing port I9 of the last mentioned valve is connected, by pipe 28, to the casing port I8 of valve I40. The casing port I9 of valve I4c is connected, by pipe 29, to the casing port I8 of valve Md. The remaining casing port I9 of valve I4d is connected, by a return line 30, to the oil reservoir II. The motors I3a., I3band I3d are shown as double acting motors comprising a piston I3e operating in a cylinder I3f provided with end ports I37]. and I32. The remaining motor I30 35 is a single acting motor in which the piston I37 operates in a cylinder I3k provided with a port 35.

The ports 2|] and 2| of control valves Ila, Nb and Md are respectively connected by pipes 32, and 33 to the cylinder ports I3h and I31 of the motors I3a, I31) and I3d. The port 20 of control valve I40 is connected by pipe 34 to the cylinder port 35 of motor I3c. The remaining port 2I of valve I40 is connected by a bypass 35, pipe 29 and valve I4d to the return line 30.

The plug I6 of each control valve is provided with a transverse port 36 normally positioned, as shown in Fig. 3, to provide a direct connection between the casing ports I8 and I9. With the valve 50 plugs in this position the oil supply through line I2 is passed directly through the several valves to the return line 30, no oil being diverted to the motors I3a, I31), I30 and I3d. When it is desired to operate one of the motors the valve plug 65 of the associated control valve is turned to the position shown in Fig. 2. In this position of the valve the port I8 is connected to the port by the T-shaped port 24 so that the line I2 is con nected'to the line 32 leading to one of the motor cylinders |3a, I3?) and l3d. At the same time the line 33, leading from said motor cylinder, is connected through groove 23 and port to the return line leading to the oil reservoir. In this connection it will be understood that the port IQ of the valve in operation is connected to return line 30 through the remaining valves whose plugs are positioned as shown in Fig. 3.

The operation of the valve controlling the motor I3?) is substantially the same except that the fluid passes to and from the motor cylinder through the single pipe connection 34.which,by manipulation of the plug l6 of valve I40, may be alternately connected with the supply line l2 and the return line 30.

As shown in Figures 8 and 9, the ports l8 and IQ of each control valve may be connected by a bypass port bypassing the valve plug IS. A

check valve in port 40 permits flow of fluid from port I 8 to port l9 when the pressure in any of the motor cylinders supplied by said control valve exceeds a predetermined value. As here shown said check valve comprises a. ball valve 4| adapted to close against 'a seat 42. Valve 4| is held in closed position by the spring loaded valve closing plunger 43. This plunger is urged in a valve closingdirection by a spring 44 confined between the plunger shoulder and a spring-tension adjusting plug 46, the latter being threadedly engaged with the wall of the bypass 40, one end of which is closed by the plug 44. When the valve plug 6 is turned to the position shown in Figures 8 and 9, fluid supplied to'port l8 passes through ports25 and 2| to the cylinder served by said valve. If

49 the fluid pressure thus supplied to the'cylinder through the control valve exceeds a predetermined value, the check valve 4| opens automatically and the excess pressure is relieved through the bypass port 40, port l9 and pipe 29. In this con- 45 nection it may be explained that the fluid pressure required to operate each of the motors |3a to |3d inclusive may'vary and the loading of the bypass valves is accordingly adjusted. So that when the pressuresupplied through each control valve exceeds a predetermined value, the asso ciated'b-ypass valve will open'automatically.

' In the use of the valve mechanismldescribed herein each of the control valves 14a, H72, I40

and Mel is initially operated to connect the supply line l2 to one end of the cylinder of the motor controlled thereby and then to the opposite end of said cylinder. The purpose of this initial operation of the valves is to expel air from the cylinders of the motors and to ensure complete filling of the system, including the pipes 32 and 33 of each motor, with oil under pressure. The pressure developed in the supply line I2 is preferably substantially in excess of the pressure required to operate any one of the individual motors. Under these circumstances it will be seen that when the valve l4a i operated to supply oil to one end of the cylinder of motor |3a the fluid which is forced from the other end of the cylinder through line 33 passes into the pipe cannection between the ports l9 and I8 of valves Ma and |4b and is supplemented by fluid which is forced past the relief check valve 4| of valve I 4a so that there is suflicient fluid pressure available in the pipe line connection between the valves Ma and M?) to provide for operation of the motor I31). 7

From this description it will be apparent that when any one of the several main control valves is operated there will be sufficient fluid pressure in the line connection between this valve and the next succeeding valve to provide for operation of the latter.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is: 3 1. -In apparatus of the character described a control valve comprising a valve casing having aligned ports in opposite wall portions thereof, a

valve plug in said casing provided with a transversely extending port adapted to be aligned with said casing ports, said valve plugbeing also provided with longitudinally extending T-shaped ports located at opposite sides of the transverse port, said T-shaped ports beingarranged so that. the T-head portions thereof lie centrally of the ends of the plug and directly opposite each othe said plug being further provided with grooves into which the stems of the T-shaped ports open and further ports formed in said valve casing and communicating with said grooves. i

2. A control valve as set forth in claim 1 including a bypass port connecting the first mentioned ports of said casing and a spring loaded excess pressure relief valve normally closingthe passageway through said bypass port. IR NEE SIQARD. 

